ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the introduction of a fee for renewing a personal alcohol licence, raising concerns about the implications that it would have for Scottish convenience retailers.
In the submission, ACS raised concerns that the introduction of a fee for renewing a personal licence would place unnecessary additional costs on retailers. ACS also raised concerns that as some convenience retailers have multiple personal licence holders in each store, the introduction of a fee to renew personal licences could discourage them from renewing each licence and having new people become personal licence holders, ultimately meaning fewer qualified licence holders working in each store.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Over three quarters of convenience retailers in Scotland have an alcohol licence which means that retailers will face considerable costs if the Scottish Government introduce fees for renewing personal licences. We encourage the Scottish Government to consider removing the requirement to renew a personal licence to avoid the cost of administration, rather than introducing a fee for renewal. This would replicate the Licensing system in England and Wales where the requirement to renew personal licences was removed in 2015.”
ACS’ full submission can be found here.
